Tubular glass sealing apparatus



Afig. 17, 1965 J. LYSAK 3,201,217

TUBULAR GLASS SEALING APPARATUS Filed May 1, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 v INVEN TOR. Jb/m/ A YSAK Aug. 17, 1965 w J. LYSAK 3,20

TUBULAR GLASS SEALING APPARATUS Filed May 1, 1 62 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Jay/v ZYJAK D Aug. 17, 1965 i LYsAK 3,201,217

TUBULAR GLASS SEALING APPARATUS Filed May 1, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INV EN TOR.

1 Ja /v LYs/IK 3 preparation for the tip off thereof and without greatly heating the pins.

The tip-off torch or burner 22 is also mounted on table 18 by means of shaft 319 and in registry with an exhaust head 12. The shaft 36 is slidably mounted for axial motion on support 18 by means of bearing 32. An offset portion 34 of shaft 31} is fixedto and supports burner 22 in a manner such that the axis of the burner is vertical. The lower end of shaft 3% holds a roller or cam follower 36. The roller 36 rides on the top of cam 38. The cam 38 is fixed to shaft 46, to rotate therewith, whereby as the shaft is rotated in proper synchronism with the indexing of turret 19, the burner 22 is moved from the solid line position thereof shown in FIG. 3 .to the dotted line position thereof in FIG. 3. The dotted line position of burner 22 in FIG. 3 corresponds to the position of the burner shown in FIG. 2.

The basket 24 is tiltably mounted on support or table 18 by means of standard 42 and bent lever 44. One portion 46 of lever 44 is fixed to and supports basket 24. A portion 48, integral with portion at, extends radially out from turret 10. A portion 50 of lever 44 integral with and at right angles to portion 48, extends through and is pivotally mounted on standard 42. The outer end of lever 44 is linked to the top of rod 52. The lower end of rod 52 is pivotally connected to one end of lever 54. The other end of lever 54 is pivoted in bracket 56. A roller or cam follower 58 is rotatably mounted on lever 54 and contacts cam 69 which is fixed to shaft 41 on one end of shaft 40 remote from cam follower 36. As shaft 4% rotates, the cam causes basket 24 to move from the position shown in solid lines in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 to the position thereof shown in phantom in FIG. 3. At its top position, the tube falls out of the basket into a chute, not shown. A spring (not shown) keeps roller 58 in contact with cam 60.

The preferred form of a tip-off burner 22 is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. This burner includes an upper plate 50 and a lower member 52. The upper plate 50 comprises two spaced parallel annular portions, an upper portion 56 and a lower smaller portion 59 being integrally connected by a funnel or frustro-conical portion 66. The portion 60, which comprises a radially inward surface of the annular burner, slants outwardly in an upward direction, so that the upper portion 60 is radially outward of the lower portion 59. A plurality of gas jet tubes 62, four being shown in FIG. 4, extend radially inwardly from the funnel shaped portions 61 of the upper plate 50 for a purpose to be disclosed. The inner ends of the gas tubes 62 end above the inner edge of disk 59. The tubes 62 are directed radially inward and may be tilted slightly upwardly with respect to a plane through the disk 59.

' The lower cup-shaped member 52 is annular and comprises an outer cylindrical portion 64 .and a short inner cylindrical portion 66, the cylindrical portion 64 and 66 being integrally joined by an annular base portion 68. Threaded holes are provided in the outer cylindrical portion 64 to receive screws 67 which extend through corresponding holes in disk 56 for holding the plate and member 52 in assembled position. A sector is cut out of both the upper plate 54 and the lower member 52 as shown at 70 in FIG. 4 to permit the tubulation 14 to enter into the middle of burner 22 from the side thereof. The lower member 5-2 has end walls 72 adjacent the cutout portion to provide a hollow interior comprising a gas chamber 73 between members 513 and 52 in the burner assembly. A gas connector 74, fixed to the lower portion 52, communicates with the gas chamber 73. The plate 50 and the member 52 are so proportioned that when fixed together by screws 67 an inwardly directed slot 75 is provided between the member 52 and plate 5d. When gas is fed to burner 22 through connector 74, gas enters chamber 73 and gas jets are formed at the ends of gas tubes to. Also, gas is fed annularly inwardly in a sheetlike manner through slot 75. The slot is closed olf at the cut-out sector 7 i) by the end walls '72.

As best shown in FIG. 5, when an electron tube 28 is received in burner 22, the pins 26 of the tube'are centered with respect to the burner 22 by contact of the pins or leads 26 with the funnel or frustro-conical portion 629, and the gas tubes '62 extend between the pins 26, the ends of these tubes 62 being within the circle of pins Thereby, flame jets from tubes 62 play on the tubulation 14 up near the glass button 29 to heat the tubulation 14 to scaling temperature. It has been found that the gas jets produced by gas tubes 62 which are small enough to extend between the pins 26, will not stay lit by themselves alone. The partially annular flame produced by slot 75 serves to keep these jets lit and does not cause appreciable softening of the tubulation 14. Since the flames from jet 62 and slot 75 are quite small, this tipping burner is economical in the use of gas.

A modified tipping burner is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. This burner 8% also comprises two parts 32 and $4 fixed together by screws 36. The upper part 82 comprises an upper smaller annular element or portion 88 and a lower larger element or portion 90 connected by a frustro-conical portion 92. The surface of radially outward portion 92 slants outwardly in a downward direction. If desired, a lip 94 may be formed on the lower or inner surface of upper annular portion 88. The lower part 8-4 comprises two concentric cylindrical portions and 98. The outer cylindrical portion as has a thick wall for receiving the screws 36. The two cylindrical portions 96 and 98 are integrally connected by an annular portion 1%. e The inner cylindrical portion 9 8 extends upwardly from portion 101 in registry with the lip 94. Cylindrical portion 98 terminates short of lip 94 to provide a slot 12 between the end of cylinder $8 and lip portion 94. As shown in FIG. 6, a sector of the burner is cut away at 104 to permit the tribulation to enter the center of the burner from the side thereof. The burner is provided with the end walls 106 to prevent gas from escaping from the burner except at the slot 102. The two portions 82 and 84 together with the wall ends 1% provide a hollow burner, the interior of which provides a gas chamber 1697 to which gas is fed by gas fitting 108. Upon lighting the gas escaping from inwardly directed slot 162, a partially annular sheet of inwardly directed flame is produced by the burner 80.

FIG. 7 also shows the relationship of the pins 26 of the electron tube 28 and the burner whereby the tubul-ation 14 is centrally positioned of the burner 18. As shown, the pins 26 by contact with the conical portion 92 are centered with respect to the burner and when so centered are positioned outside of the flame in a radial direct-ion. Since the flame is directed inwardly from slot 102, flame does not play on the pins 26. The tubulation is centered with respect to the flame by the cooperation of the pins with the conical portion 92, and the flame produced by the burner 81 plays directly on the tubulation 14. The slot 102 may be formed to direct the sheet of flame produced thereby either up or down, .as desired to provide a seal at the desired part of the tubulation 14. Since the slot is very close to the tubulation, the flame is quite small resulting in a gas saving over the prior art tipping burners discussed above.

The operation of this sealing apparatus is as follows: the operator puts the tubulation 14 of an electron tube into the resilient annulus 13 of a vacant exhaust head 12, for example, the right-hand one, as viewed in FIG. 1. The electron tube 28 is supported by its tubulation 14- on the chuck 12. The turret is indexed counter-clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 1. The tube 28 may be exhausted in a known manner.

When the exhaust head arrives near the tip-off position, for example, at the left-hand position, as viewed in FIG. 1, after having gone nearly around once, warm up flames are played on the tubulation 14 by burners 20 to gradually warm the tubulation 14 so that application of the tipping torch head, at a later step in the operation will not cause cracking of the tube enclosure. The warm-up flames are applied below the pins 26 to avoid oxidizing them.

As the tube is brought to a tipping off position, the basket 24 and the tipping torch 22 at the tipping position of the turret are in the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 3, that is, the torch is in its low position so that the pins 26 of the tube 28 will clear the torch 22 and so that the tubulation 14 may enter the center of torch 22 through the slot 70. The basket 24 is also in its lowest position so that the basket 24 will receive the glass envelope of the tube 28 through the open side of the basket 24 with pins 26 and tubulation 14 extending downwardly through the open bottom portion of the basket 24. Cam 38 then raises torch 22 to its upper position and the funnel portion 69 (see FIG. 5) centers the pins 26 and therefore also centers the tubulation 14 with respect to the torch 22. Since the tubulation is relatively long and since the chuck 12 comprises rubber parts, the slight adjustment of the positions of the tubulation 14 that may be necessary places little or no strain on the electron tube 28. The flame from jet tubes 62 play on the tubulation 14 up near the button 29 to soften the tubulation. When the tubulation is softened to the proper extent, the burner 22 and the basket 24 are both raised by cams 3S and 60 respectively to stretch the tubulations at its softened part. Then the basket 24 is moved to the position shown in phantom in FIG. 3, whereby the tube 28 is thrown into a chute, not shown. The turret is then indexed to move the sealed off tubulation remaining in the chuck to its next indexed position, and immediately after the sealed tubulation passes the basket 26 and the torch 22, rotation of earns 69 and 38 cause the torch and the basket to take the portions shown in solid lines in FIG. 3 ready to receive the next electron tube 28. The operator removes the tubulation 14- from the chuck 12 and the cycle is completed.

Obviously, tubes having the tubulation extending from other parts of the envelope may be tipped off with the burner of this invention. will function to seal the tubulation 14- even though no pins 26 come into contact with any part of the burner 22.

If the burner 80 of FIGS. 6 and 7 is used instead of the burner 22 of FIGS. 4 and 5, the centering of the pins 26 with respect to the burner 84 is performed by contact with the pins 26 with conical portion 92. The operation is otherwise the same, the tubulation 14 entering the center of burner 80 from the side and through the slot 104.

What is claimed is:

1. A tipping torch for use with an electron tube having a header wafer and a plurality of leads extending from said wafer, said leads being arranged in a circle, said torch comprising:

a hollow annular member of sectoral shape,

a first inner surface portion of said torch being frustroconical in shape,

the large diameter end of said frustro-conical surface portion havinga diameter larger than said lead circle, and another region of said frustro-conical surface portion having a diameter substantially the same as said lead circle for centering said leads with respect to said torch,

at least one gas tube communicating with the interior of said hollow member, said tube extending radially inwardly from said frustro-conical surface portion and terminating within said lead circle when said leads are engaged with and centered by said frustroconical surface portion,

a second inner surface portion connected with said frustro-conical surface portion and lying Within a projection of said lead circle when said leads :are engaged with and centered by said frustro-conical surface portion, said second surface portion having a slot extending outwardly therefrom and communicating with the interior of said hollow member, and

In such cases, the burner 22 a means to supply gas to the interior of said hollow memher.

2. A tipping torch for use with an electron tube having a header wafer and a plurality of leads extending from said wafer, said leads being arranged in a circle, said torch comprising:

a hollow annular member of sectoral shape,

a first inner surface portion of said torch being frustroconical in shape,

the large diameter end of said frustro-conical surface portion having a diameter larger than said lead circle, and another region of said frustro-coni-cal surface portion having a diameter substantially the same as said lead circle for centering said leads with respect to said torch, I

at least one gas tube communicating with the interior of said hollow member, said tube extending radially inwardly from a position on said frustro-conical surface portion between the large diameter end of said frustro-conical surface portion and said another region of said frustro-conical surface portion, said tube terminating within said lead circle when said leads are engaged with and centered by said frustroconical surface portion,

a second inner surface portion connected with said frustro-conical surface portion and lying within a projection of said lead circle when said leads are engaged with and centered by said frustro-conical surface portion, said second surface portion having a slot extending outwardly therefrom and communicating with the interior of said hollow member, and

means to supply gas to the interior of said hollow member.

3. A tipping torch for use with an electron tube having a header wafer and a plurality of leads extending from said wafer, said leads being arranged in a circle, said torch comprising:

a hollow annular member of sectoral shape,

a first inner surface portion of said torch being frustroconical in shape,

the large diameter end of said frustro-conical surface portion having a diameter larger than said lead circle, and the small diameter end of said frustro-conical surface portion having a diameter substantially the same as said lead circle,

at least one gas tube communicating with the interior of said hollow member, said tube extending radially I inwardly from said frustro-conical surface portion and terminating within said lead circle when said leads are engaged with and centered by said frustroconical surface portion,

a second inner surface portion of said torch lying within a projection of said lead circle when said leads are received within said frustro-conical surface portion,

the small diameter end of said frustro-conical surface portion and said second surface portion being joined by a third surface portion, said third surface portion and said frustro-conical surface portion coacting to position said leads 'with respect to said torch,

said second surface portion having a slot extending outwardly therefrom and communicating with the interior of said hollow member,

and means to supply gas to the interior of said hollow member.

4. A tipping torch for use with an electron tube having a header wafer and a plurality of leads extending from said wafer, said leads being arranged in a. circle, said torch comprising:

a hollow annular member of sectoral shape,

a first inner surface portion of said torch being frustroconical in shape,

the large diameter end of said frustro-conical surface portion having a diameter larger than said lead circle, and the small diameter end of said frustro-coni Y 8 cal surface portion having a diameter substantially said cylindrical portion having a slot extending out the same as said lead circle, Wardly therefrom and communicating with the ina second inner surface portion of said torch being cylinterior of said hollow member, and

drical, said cylindrical portion being coaxial with means to supply gas to the interior of said hollow said frustro-conical portion and having a diameter 5 member.

smaller than the diameter of the small diameter end of Said frustro csnical portion References Cited by the Examiner a disk-like portion connecting said cylindrical portion UNITED STATES PATENTS and the small diameter end of said frustro-conical 1 153 275 1/16 Ben portion, said disk-like portion and said frustro-coni- 10 1461155 7/23 Madden 3L '5 g XR cal portion coacting to position said leads with re- 1:936:426 11/33 Eisler to Sald tOrch, 2,295,034 9/42 Geiger a a1. 65-34 at least one gas tube communicating with the interior of said hollow member, said tube extending radially FOREIGN PATENTS inwardly from said frustro-conical surface portion 15 145 331 2 52 Australia between the large and small diameter ends thereof 491,090 2/54 Italy.

and terminating Within said lead circle when said I leads are engaged With and centered by said frustro- DONALL SYLVESTER Przmmy conical surface portion, MORRIS O. WOLK, Examiner. 

1. A TIPPING TORCH FOR USE WITH AN ELECTRON TUBE HAVING A HEADER WAFER AND A PLURALITY OF LEADS EXTENDING FROM SAID WAFER, SAID LEADS BEING ARRANGED IN A CIRCLE, SAID TORCH COMPRISING: A HOLLOW ANNULAR MEMBER OF SECTORAL SHAPE, A FIRST INNER SURFACE PORTION OF SAID TORCH BEING FRUSTROCONCIAL IN SHAPE, THE LARGE DIAMETER END OF SAID FRUSTRO-CONICAL SURFACE PORTION HAVING A DIAMETER LARGER THAN SAID LEAD CIRCLE, AND ANOTHER REGION OF SAID FRUSTRO-COMICAL SURFACE PORTION HAVING A DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS SAID LEAD CIRCLE FOR CENTERING SAID LEADS WITH RESPECT TO SAID TORCH, AT LEAST ONE GAS TUBE COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOLLOW MEMBER, SAID TUBE EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM SAID FRUSTRO-CONICAL SURFACE PORTION AND TERMINATING WITHIN SAID LEAD CIRCLE WHEN SAID 